+3.2 on previous index reading
The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse came in at 70.2 in December 2020. The index, which combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, was up 3.2 on last month but down 12.8 on a year ago.
The backdrop to this month’s survey was mixed – the fieldwork was being out carried out as the country exited a six week period of Level 5 restrictions and as plans for the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine were being drawn up; but also as the Brexit transition period neared its end date with no clarity on the nature of the future EU-UK trading relationship. So while the former lifted the spirits of households and firms, the latter tempered the bounce in confidence.
